Agatha entered the bare, inhospitable room of her countryman. She sunk upon the wooden chair which he offered to her, and asked, in a low voice: "Do you know Baron Hohenhorst? Do you know my

husband? And is he here?"

"I know your husband," he answered, curtly. "And why should he not be here? He was here four weeks ago, when I started on my journey."

"Oh, my dear sir," said Agatha, as she rose and sunk back trembling on her chair, "let us not lose a moment, let us go to the governor!"

"One moment's patience," replied the doctor, taking a bottle from a cupboard in the corner, and pouring out a glass of brandy, which he offered he.. "You need strengthening."

Agatha drew back with a shudder. "Oho!" said the doctor, with a coarse laugh, "I see your ladyship is a stranger in this country. No living in Russia without brandy." He forced her to take at least a few drops. Then he went on:

"Your ladyship may make yourself easy. Your husband has been better off here than ever any one else sent into misery. The governor is an idiot, but he is not a bad man, and, stupid though he is, he knew well enough what there was of Baron Hohenhorst, and how to turn it to the best advantage. You see he had a son whom he idolized, the only one left to him of ten children. The boy was growing up here without instruction, like a calf. When the German baron came, the old man soon found out that he was a scholar, and made him the teacher and guide of his son, and so he had a good time, got the best of such

food as we can get in this God-forsaken land, and your husband was wise, and kept himself and the boy out of the governor's way whenever he was drunk. But the boy had a good heart; he wouldn't look at any one but Hohenhorst, or Gongorst, as the barbarians here call him, and perfectly idolized him. Now you see, madame," continued the doctor, beginning to grow excited," you see the boy fell sick, and finally went into a quick consumption. No medical skill in the world can cure that in a day. The father began to whine and to blubber like an old woman, and thought he knew better, and asked the advice of an old witch, and secretly doctored the boy with quack medicines, and had charms spoken, and the sign of the cross made over him, till he succeeded in getting him into his grave. And on that, madame," he cried, with an oath, and almost in a rage, "on that I made a solemn vow that I would not enter his house again. He is the governor, to be sure. But what do I care for that? He needs me more than I him. They

can't do without me here. I am determined to have my rights, and I'm sorry about the boy."

"Good

Agatha had listened to him as if stunned. God!" she cried, starting up in dismay, "a vow! Then I must go alone to the governor, to my husband. The heavenly Father will assist me!"

"Patience-patience, madame!" he cried, still in a tone of annoyance, though somewhat pacified. "The empress commands. What can I do? In this accursed land we can only obey. And I'm sorry for you, and you can't get along without me."

Agatha gladly let him have the satisfaction of

thinking so. A short ride brought them to the house of the governor, a miserable edifice, which was hardly superior to that of the doctor, except that it covered more ground, and was made still more repulsive by the filth accumulated about its entrance.

The day had progressed meanwhile, and the governor was already in his office-a long, dreary apartment, with coarse benches ranged along the walls, on which were seated several waiting clients, and a table in the middle, at which sat a couple of secretaries. The governor, a large, coarse-looking man, with a broad, dark-red face, and small gray eyes, from which shone an expression of unmistakable good-nature, was walking to and fro while giving his orders. He wore an old sheepskin, thrown over a shabby uniform, and from his whole appearance he would have been taken in Germany rather for a coachman or hostler than for a high official.

When Dr. Brenner entered the room, he cast upon him a look of welcome, evidently rejoiced at seeing him reconciled. But his eyes turned in some dismay to the lady who accompanied the doctor, whose refined appearance quite confused him.

Agatha's mind had reached the highest pitch of excitement. With convulsive haste she approached the stranger, on whose answer her life's happiness depended, and held toward him, without uttering a word, the order of the empress.

Her eyes were fastened upon the features of the bewildered governor. He read. But what words could express what she felt when she saw him turn pale-when she saw him tremble convulsively, and

the hand which held the paper drop to his side, while he muttered a few words which were incomprehensible to her!

She stared at him, speechless, confounded.

He repeated the words, turning to the doctor. Bewildered, beseechingly her eyes followed his movement. The doctor summoned courage to speak.

At length he said, in a low voice, "He is dead; has been dead three weeks!"

CHAPTER IX.

NEW TRIALS.

WHо could depict Agatha's state when those terrible words suddenly snapped the overstrained chords of her inward being? Her body, as well as her soul, was totally exhausted. She fainted. When she came to herself, and had with difficulty learned to comprehend her situation, she wished to see her husband's grave. The doctor tried to dissuade her, but in vain. The governor, who did not cease to overwhelm the unhappy woman with long speeches, which, from his tone, and from the tears which ran over his coarse face, she could understand to be expressions of sympathy, finally opened a large book, and showed the doctor a number. She was taken to an immense field, thickly covered with snow, from which, here and there, a cross, coarsely fashioned of common wood, protruded. But few among the long ranks of these rough monuments had resisted the effects of storm and wintry weather. Moritz's cross was comparatively fresh, and bore the number 78. For numbers only, not names, were granted the unfortunate exiles, who, with their social position, lost also their identity. If an aggrava